Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture

[Herbie]

Hi,

I've been reading the posts to educate myself a little more. I have an 11.5 year old Lab mix recently diagnosed with a ruptured rear ligament. He already has arthritis. It was a sudden onset last week and now he is bearing some weight and we have him on pain medication. He doesn't seem to be in noticeable pain other than a slight limp. He has been Xrayed and the diagnosis is confirmed.

The vet is telling me he will probably rupture the other leg due to the limping and arthritis. Surgery here is a minimum of $3800 per leg. We don't have anyone locally so we are sent out of state. He is an incredibly difficult dog to treat and has to be sedated or restrained for even minor things.

I'm wondering if I can come up with the nearly $10,000, will it be worth it for his well-being. I'm seeing that movement has to be restricted. They cast the legs here so I know that will be the case anyway. We have him in a fenced backyard with access to a downstairs entry. We have sealed off the steps leading to the upper deck where he prefers to hang out. Will the repair, should we decide to go that way, be the best course of treatment with all the arthritis? Is there anyway we could humanely consider treating the arthritis the best we can, restricting his movement to one level and watching and waiting? I hate the idea of him being in any unnecessary pain. We had him sedated for the X-rays and it took two full days for him to completely recover from the effects. He wasn't even completely anesthetized.

Any down-to-earth advice would be appreciated.

Herbie

[Herbie]

I thought I'd update before leaving the forum. I decided not to have the surgeries. The stress on an older dog, the price and the possibility of not that much improvement due to the arthritis were all factors. I visited my local holistic pet store and received some herbal medication that many people in my area are using as an alternative treatment for a variety of mobility issues. We have several local people who swear by this stuff so I'll give it a try.

Herbie

[aussieann]

Hi Herbie ...

Am going through the same dilemma with our adored 12 and a half cross labrador with a torn ligament and arthritis confirmed .... there could be another underlying problem though that may make the decision for us :-((( and we need to wait to see if that has settled down first ....

What concerns us is ... is it fair to put an elderly dog through the stress of what ultimately will be 2 operations as we have been told the other leg will give way from taking the strain of the operated leg in the period of recuperation .. and during that recovery period we know our dog is going to think he is in disgrace not being able to follow his usual routines which even with the arthritis he is still doing and we feel is going to go downhill mentally ...

At present he is on painrelief which does seem to be working and though slowing down which we all do as we age anyhow .. lol .. seems to be content ..

Thank you for posting as it was good to hear from someone else in the same situation and who has made the decision that we feel we will also be making ..

Hope all goes well
Ann

[Daveyo]

Hi Herbie

Read your post. hmmm, well there is a nice treatment well worth your time and it is quite successful and probably will get rid of the arthritis too.

As for the detail, I think it is best for you to at least visit my site at caninedistempercure dot com and take a look at the cruciate ligament section. The best one so far is the stem cell micro surgery and that is what I have posted on my site. Plus there are other options. Besides the price is a bit cheaper and highly regarded.

Hope to see you there

good luck

Daveyo

[Herbie]

Hi Daveyo,

Thanks for the info. I'll be visiting your site later. However, for now, my dog seems to be doing fine with the herbal concoction and restricted movement. We no longer permit stair climbing. He is moving a little slower but does not appear to be in any pain that we can see. I'm sure he has the normal aches and pains of an older dog, I know I'm getting a little stiffer as I age as well. I believe we have chosen the most humane method of treatment as he is content.

Herbie

[Daveyo]

Hi Herbie

Herbal stuff does not work and its well known. If you really are serious to get your dog back on its two feet healthy and without problems, as it ages, it is best to get that new technique surgery done on it as I am very confident it will be best for your dog in the long run. The recovery and cure is quite amazing and that arthritis can in fact be eliminated. They have found a way in that regards.

I would not tell you this if I had not checked it out and I did and someone else here did it and got superb results from going there and the dog is practically like brand new.

Daveyo